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FEBRUARY 2013 |www.opp-connect.com


Editor’s letter • John Howell ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3960 john.howell@opp-connect.com | 5


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EDITORIAL Editorial Director John Howell ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3960 john.howell@opp-connect.com


International property reporter Francine Carrel ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3973 francine.carrel@opp-connect.com


Editorial assistant Candice Ritchie ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3973 candice.ritchie@opp-connect.com


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Andy Grimley ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3972 ✆ +44 (0)7841 929 768 andy.grimley@opp-connect.com


Sales consultants Anthony Hurley ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3965 anthony.hurley@opp-connect.com


Alex Martin ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3963 alex.martin@opp-connect.com


MARKETING & OPERATIONS Marketing and Operations manager Naomi Zammit ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3968 naomi.zammit@opp-connect.com


Marketing and Operations executives David Beaumont ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3969 david.beaumont@opp-connect.com


Mina Mu ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3969 mina.mu@opp-connect.com


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PUBLISHED BY OPP Media, part of RGG Ltd Chief Executive Xavier Wiggins ✆ +44 (0)208 734 3967 xavier.wiggins@opp-connect.com


Group editor John Howell


B 2013


The business potential of 2013 seems to be more confusing than ever. Where is the world of international property going? Where should our businesses be going? How should we prepare for the year – or years – ahead?


It seems to be a universal trait of human nature that, with the arrival of a new year, we feel compelled to peer into the future. I plead guilty. Over the last eight weeks or so I have (as usual) been speaking to many people in our industry, young and old, big and small and from many different countries. I have been talking to them about various issues but, on most occasions I have also taken the opportunity to sound out their views about the coming year. They were an eye opener. Some seemed remarkably optimistic. Some were full of doom and gloom. Some verged on what (to me at least) seemed the crazy. Their thoughts were so varied that it was almost impossible to pull out any themes, let alone any consensus.


oth are discussed, in some depth, in this month’s OPP. We’re a month into the new year and things are getting exciting.


Hello 2013 … and welcome?


We are now racing into both another business year and another show season. Both are of great importance to our industry...


In fact, as I spoke to more and more people, the views that emerged became ever more varied and surprising. Overall, I suppose, people were not expecting a record breaking year but most were hoping for one better than last year and much better than the year before. However, there were huge variations in opinions, even within the same sector of the market and the same country. Some were very gloomy indeed. Two examples show the range of views: 1. Agent A, working in Torrevieja, thinks the market will contract a further 25% this year, that prices will fall by about the same amount and he will have to lay off almost all of his remaining staff. Agent B, working less than a kilometre away, is looking forward to his best year since 2007 and to employing several more sales agents. 2. In Miami, Agent C has had a good 2012 and expects the market to take off in 2013. Agent D is closing his business as you read this article because he sees no future in the market. In relation to some countries there was a prevailing optimism – albeit, muted optimism. Which were those countries? Some are not a surprise. Those selling in China and South East Asia were, generally, looking forward to a good 2013. Some other ‘feel-good’ places were more interesting. What makes those in Ireland feel so hopeful? Why are Cape Verde and France more hopeful than other places? We need to fi nd out.


In other places there were many pessimists. Spain. Turkey. Portugal. Cyprus.


In, perhaps, half the countries there was a pretty even balance between optimism and pessimism. Such were the differences of opinion that we decided, as a fi rst response, to run a feature on the subject; so my deputy, Francine Carrel, got on the phones. See her article at pages 42-45. To fi nd out more we are also going


to run an OPP survey about what YOU expect from 2013 and why. It will come out with the OPP newsletter at the end of February and we expect to publish the results in April’s OPP.


Shows


Shows, exhibitions, conferences and events have always been a major feature of life in the overseas property industry. I am writing this article from the Inman “Real Estate Connect’ conference in New York, where I am due to speak very shortly. We have a further OPP “Doing Business in …” conference taking place in South East Asia (Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur & Singapore) in the next few days. In France, the massive MIPIM (B2B) event is coming soon. In the UK, the France (B2C) show is fast approaching. Then come the Beijing International Property Expo, A Place in the Sun Live (both B2C) and a host of others. These events are all sold to you as ‘a unique marketing opportunity’. Do they work? Who do they work for? How do they fi t into your marketing plan for 2013? How do you get the best out of them? See this month’s “Three Wise (Wo)Men” on pages 10 & 11 for the fi rst of two articles on this topic – this one from the point of view of the show organisers. The second (in next month’s OPP) will be from the point of view of potential and actual exhibitors. We will also be asking questions about your experiences with exhibitions in our OPP survey.


Finally, you may have noticed that I have got a lot older! Do not panic. This is not the result of too much work or illness. I have fi nally replaced my photo – taken nearly 10 years ago.


If you would like to contribute to either of next month’s discussions, please let me know your views:


john.howell@opp-connect.com


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